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NSU Alumnus Becomes Mayor Pro Tem for the City of Sacramento

Kennith B. Norman, Larry Carr & Colvin Gibson

NSU alumnus Larry Carr has been sworn in to serve on the Sacramento City Council by his childhood friends former NSU Board of Visitor member Colvin Gibson and NSU alumnus Kennith Norman. Carr was first elected to the Sacramento City Council back in 2014 and appointed Mayor Pro Tem in 2016. Carr, Gibson and Norman are all graduates of Norfolk State University who served as commissioned officers in the U.S. Army. The three friends grew up in Liberty and Young’s Park, housing developments in the city of Norfolk. Norman is the director of vendor relations for the New York Transit Authority and lives in New York City. Gibson retired from Exxon Mobil as a senior advisor, executive compensation and programs, and lives in the Dallas, Texas Metroplex.

During Carr’s swearing-in ceremony, he shared a photo with the audience which included his two childhood friends. “When you look at this photo, what do you see? You can see potential or a problem. If you see a problem, you’ll treat youth as a problem. If you see potential, then you can help today’s youth fulfill their dreams,” said Carr. “We all grew up in public housing and reached our potential because people saw potential in each of us.”

“Our parents, coaches, teachers and religious leaders expected us to achieve and set the example for those who followed. At Norfolk State, we were active in student government and ROTC. Thus it’s no surprise that Larry would become a Sacramento City Councilman and lead. He’s been conditioned to be out front,” said Gibson. “It’s in his DNA.

Prior to Mayor Pro Tem Carr’s service on the Sacramento City Council, he had been elected to the SMUD Board of Directors from November 1998 to 2014. He is the past executive director of the Florin Road Partnership, a south Sacramento Property-Based Business Improvement District, and a previous teacher at Sacramento High School. Mayor Pro Tem Carr retired as a lieutenant colonel after 23 years in the U.S. Army and is the recipient of the Legion of Merit honor. He earned a bachelor’s degree in political science from NSU and the MBA from the University of California in Los Angeles.